Published: December 06, 2008 11:11 pm      

‘Save Theatre W.Va.’ campaign under way

Following the Nov. 25 announcement that Theatre West Virginia would, after 48 years of business, close its doors within a month, disappointment and disbelief rang out from most everyone who had experienced the magic of the summer outdoor historical dramas at Grandview.

Although the $100,000 cut in state funding that prompted the decision to close is a major obstacle to overcome, TWV officials are embarking on a major fundraising campaign in hopes of bringing in enough money to keep the treasured cultural staple alive.

“We are starting a ‘Save Theatre West Virginia’ campaign and we are upbeat and very hopeful that the citizens of Beckley, Raleigh County and the entire state of West Virginia will join with us to make sure that TWV remains at Grandview for another 48 plus years,” board member and fundraising chairperson Susan Hambric said.

The original decision to close was not an easy one, Hambric said, but board members ultimately decided closing would be better than pushing forward with the possibility of going out of business while owing the community money.

Hambric, a former TWV board president who volunteered just days ago to rejoin the board and spearhead the fundraising campaign, explained TWV suffered major financial issues in the mid-1990s and was deep in debt.

That history, she added, was one of the main reasons officials chose to shut down rather than take a giant financial risk.

“The people who run TWV, its general manager and its board, care very much about the community in which they live and the businesses that have supported us during the 48 years,” she said. “They are committed to making sure we don’t leave people in our community holding the bag.”

Although committed to remaining debt-free, Hambric says officials are also committed to doing everything they can to keep TWV in business.

“After much thought, we have determined that nobody wants to close TWV, so we are coming to the public and we are asking for assistance and we need $100,000,” she said.

Hambric says she believes the fundraising campaign will be successful, given the history and importance of the outdoor dramas, as well as the support of the many who have watched throughout the years.

“TWV is the oldest Civil War drama in the United States,” she said. “Last summer, we had visitors from 46 of the 50 states and several foreign countries. As of the end of our season in 2008, 1,432,010 people had seen our outdoor dramas since 1961.”

In addition to the summer shows, TWV also has a touring company which, through an educational outreach program, spends the off-season traveling throughout the state and taking live performances to public schools.

Hambric said she believes the many people who have experienced the shows as well as the community at-large will band together to help keep it afloat.

“We are very fortunate here in southern West Virginia,” she said. “We have some tourist attractions that are very popular and are very well known. I truly believe the people in Raleigh County and West Virginia know that TWV is a national treasure.”

Although the fundraiser is just now officially kicking off, Hambric said donations have already been received from local residents as well as from North Carolina, Atlanta and as far away as North Dakota.

As of Friday evening, $5,050 had been raised, and with the fundraiser now officially under way, Hambric said she is convinced that amount will soar.

“Right now we have a good start and those were unsolicited donations,” she said. “Now we’re soliciting.”

Hambric did not give a timeline for raising the funds, but says the goal is to raise “as much as we can by the end of the year.”

“We are asking them (possible donors) to please open up their pocketbooks and help us,” she said. “I know it’s Christmas, and with the economy the way it is, it may be asking a lot, but every dollar counts. It doesn’t matter if it’s a $1, $100, $1,000 or more. Every penny will help us stay in business.”

Hambric says anyone who is interested in helping raise funds is welcome to do so, but she asks that those conducting their own drives notify TWV.

In the future, to make up for the budget cuts, Hambric says grant writing, additional fundraising and a capital campaign are being considered.

In the meantime, however, officials are just trying to get through the present and will be sending out letters and e-mails to the TWV membership and local citizens.

“We are going to be doing everything we can to raise this money,” Hambric said. “It is a challenge, but I think it’s a challenge this community can certainly jump on and be very, very successful with it.

“We’re looking forward to getting it going and being successful with it.”

Anyone interested in donating can mail their checks to Theatre West Virginia, P.O. Box 1205, Beckley, WV 25802.

Also, donations can be made over the phone by calling 304-256-6800 or 1-800-666-6800.